Patent Grant
6863272
This invention relates generally to an electronic reprographic printing system, and more particularly concerns feeder apparatus process for improving feeding of compilations of recording sheets that often accompanies this general method of reproduction and printing.
In the process of electrostatographic reproduction, a light image of an original to be copied or printed is typically recorded in the form of a latent electrostatic image upon a photosensitive member, with a subsequent rendering of the latent image visible by the application of electroscopic marking particles, commonly referred to as toner. The visual toner image can be either fixed directly upon the photosensitive member or transferred from the member to another support medium, such as a sheet of plain paper. To render this toner image permanent, the image must be “fixed” or “fused” to the paper, generally by the application of heat and pressure.
With the advent of high speed xerography reproduction machines wherein copiers or printers can produce at a rate in excess of three thousand copies per hour, the need for sheet handling system to, for example, feed paper or other media through each process station in a rapid succession in a reliable and dependable manner in order to utilize the full capabilities of the reproduction machine. These sheet handling systems must operate flawlessly to virtually eliminate risk of damaging the recording sheets and generate minimum machine shutdowns due to misfeeds or multifeeds. It is in the initial separation of the individual sheets from the media stack where the greatest number of problems occur which, in some cases, can be due to up curl and down curl in sheets which generally occur randomly in the document stack.
There is provided a sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a stack of sheets in a direction of movement to a process station, comprising: a sheet tray for holding said stack of sheets; a paper fluffer, position on a said side portion of said stack of sheets, for blowing air between individual sheets in said stack to keep a top sheet of said stack separated and ready for feeding; and a baffle, position on a top portion of said stack of sheets, for engaging a trailing edge of said top sheet thereby preventing the trailing edge of said top sheet from curling up.
While the present invention will hereinafter be described in connection with preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to a particular embodiment.
For a general understanding of the features of the present invention, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate like elements. It will become evident from the following discussion that the present invention and the various embodiments set forth herein are suited for use in a wide variety of printing and copying systems, and are not necessarily limited in its application to the particular systems shown herein.
By way of a general explanation,
IPS 12 contains control electronics which prepare and manage the image data flow to a raster output scanner (ROS), indicated generally by the reference numeral 16. A user interface (UI), indicated generally by the reference numeral 14, is in communication with IPS 12. UI 14 enables an operator to control the various operator adjustable functions. The operator actuates the appropriate keys of UI 14 to adjust the parameters of the copy. UI 14 may be a touch screen, or any other suitable control panel, providing an operator interface with the system. The output signal from UI 14 is transmitted to IPS 12. IPS 12 then transmits signals corresponding to the desired image to ROS 16, which creates the output copy image. ROS 16 includes a laser with rotating polygon mirror blocks. Preferably, a nine facet polygon is used. ROS 16 illuminates, via mirror 37, the charged portion of a photoconductive belt 20 of a printer or marking engine, indicated generally by the reference numeral 18, at a rate of about 400 pixels per inch, to achieve a set of subtractive primary latent images. ROS 16 will expose the photoconductive belt 20 to record three latent images which correspond to the signals transmitted from IPS 12. One latent image is developed with cyan developer material. Another latent image is developed with magenta developer material and the third latent image is developed with yellow developer material. These developed images are transferred to a copy sheet in superimposed registration with one another to form a multicolored image on the copy sheet. This multicolored image is then fused to the copy sheet forming a color copy.
With continued reference to
Initially, a portion of photoconductive belt 20 passes through a charging station, indicated generally by the reference numeral 33. At charging station 33, a corona generating device 34 charges photoconductive belt 20 to a relatively high, substantially uniform potential.
Next, the charged photoconductive surface is rotated to an exposure station, indicated generally by the reference numeral 35. Exposure station 35 receives a modulated light beam corresponding to information derived by RIS 10 having multicolored original document 38 positioned thereat. The modulated light beam impinges on the surface of photoconductive belt 20. The beam illuminates the charged portion of the photoconductive belt to form an electrostatic latent image. The photoconductive belt 20 is exposed three times to record three latent images thereon.
After the electrostatic latent images have been recorded on photoconductive belt 20, the belt advances such latent images to a development station, indicated generally by the reference numeral 39. The development station includes four individual developer units indicated by reference numerals 40, 42, 44, and 46. The developer units are of a type generally referred to in the art as “magnetic brush development units.” Typically, a magnetic brush development system employs a magnetizable developer material including magnetic carrier granules having toner particles adhering triboelectrically thereto. The developer material is continually brought through a directional flux field to form a brush of developer material. The developer material is constantly moving so as to continually provide the brush with fresh developer material. Development is achieved by bringing the brush of developer material into contact with the photoconductive surface. Developer units 40, 42, and 44, respectively, apply toner particles of a specific color which corresponds to the compliment of the specific color separated electrostatic latent image recorded on the photoconductive surface.
The color of each of the toner particles is adapted to absorb light within a preselected spectral region of the electromagnetic wave spectrum. For example, an electrostatic latent image formed by discharging the portions of charge on the photoconductive belt 20 corresponding to the green regions of the original document will record the red and blue portions as areas of relatively high charge density on photoconductive belt 20, while the green areas will be reduced to a voltage level ineffective for development. The charged areas are then made visible by having developer unit 40 apply green absorbing (magenta) toner particles onto the electrostatic latent image recorded on photoconductive belt 20. Similarly, a blue separation is developed by developer unit 42 with blue absorbing (yellow) toner particles, while the red separation is developed by developer unit 44 with red absorbing (cyan) toner particles. Developer unit 46 contains black toner particles and may be used to develop the electrostatic latent image formed from a black and white original document. Each of the developer units is moved into and out of an operative position. In the operative position, the magnetic brush is substantially adjacent the photoconductive belt, while in the nonoperative position, the magnetic brush is spaced therefrom. (In
After development, the toner image is moved to a transfer station, indicated generally by the reference numeral 65. Transfer station 65 includes a transfer zone, generally indicated by reference numeral 64. In transfer zone 64, the toner image is transferred to a sheet of support material, such as plain paper amongst others. At transfer station 65, a sheet transport apparatus, indicated generally by the reference numeral 48, moves the sheet into contact with photoconductive belt 20. Sheet transport 48 has a pair of spaced belts 54 entrained about a pair of substantially cylindrical rollers 50 and 52. A sheet gripper (not shown in
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the sheet may move in a recirculating path for four cycles when under color black removal is used. Each of the electrostatic latent images recorded on the photoconductive 25 surface is developed with the appropriately colored toner and transferred, in superimposed registration with one another, to the sheet to form the multicolor copy of the colored original document.
After the last transfer operation, the sheet transport system directs the sheet to a vacuum conveyor 68. Vacuum conveyor 68 transports the sheet, in the direction of arrow 70, to a fusing station, indicated generally by the reference numeral 71, where the transferred toner image is permanently fused to the sheet. The fusing station includes a heated fuser roll 74 and a pressure roll 72. The sheet passes through the nip defined by fuser roll 74 and pressure roll 72. The toner image contacts fuser roll 74 so as to be affixed to the sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is advanced by a pair of rolls 76 to a catch tray 78 for subsequent removal therefrom by the machine operator.
The final processing station in the direction of movement of photoconductive belt 20, as indicated by arrow 22, is a photoreceptor cleaning station,
The sequence of operation of the sheet feeder of the present invention is as follows. A stack of paper 56 is placed into the elevator paper tray 120.
Fluffer has air openings 415 and 416. Fluffer 140 is arranged such that it may inject air between sheets in the stack by air opening 416 and on top surface of the sheet by air opening 415 to be fed. The air pressure between sheets helps separate sheets, i.e. puff the sheets up. The air on top of the surface of the sheet to be fed, on the other hand, due to the Venturi effect, creates a vacuum to help pull the sheet to the feeder head. The combined effects improve the speed of the sheet acquisition speed and ensure a single sheet feed.
In the vacuum shuttle feeder before the sheet is acquired to the vacuum feed head a high pressure side port will fluff the stack to prevent multifeeds. With lightweight sheets 49-75 gsm the high pressure fluffer port will blow the sheets up against the feed head into an over fluff condition which could cause misfeeds or multifeeds. The present system uses a baffle with a an air bearing surface that is located 2 mm above the feed head to control the over fluff situation. A problem with the over prior fluff baffle is increased drag to the sheet as it is pulled by the vacuum feed head which resulted in skew or misfeed.
The present invention replaces the over fluff baffle that is used to control the sheets during the fluff cycle with an air bearing surface 400 along the entire width of the sheet that controls the height of the trailing edge of the sheet in the stack as the sheet is being acquired by the vacuum feed head. The air bearing surface 400 eliminates skew because it has reduced the friction and pinch points between the feed head and over fluff baffle. Preferably, the air bearing surface 400 is part of the fluffer port 410. The air source 425 and 430 for the air bearing is tapped off the existing fluffer port via channel 410. Air bearing surface 400 has apertures 405 along the width of the sheet which provides downward force to the trailing edge of the sheet.
Referring to
A seal (not shown) is positioned about the perimeter of plenum 58. Seal is a floating and flexible seal between the vacuum plenum and paper stack. Drive assembly 600 is, attached to air plenum 58 for translating the acquire sheet's leading edge 57 into feed rollers. To further reduce the likelihood of removing other sheets from the stack (i.e., to reduce multifeeds), onto vacuum paper contact surface, the drive assembly 600 translate the air plenum 58 initially in a reverse direction of movement of the feed rollers 55 so that a trailing edge of the acquired sheets abuts against a portion of the sheet tray to generate a buckle area in the acquired sheet. Then, drive assembly translates air plenum in a direction of movement of the feed rollers 55 so that a lead edge of the acquired by the feed rollers 55 above flange 121.
Other embodiments and modifications of the present invention may occur to those skilled in the art subsequent to a review of the information presented herein; these embodiments and modifications, as well as equivalents thereof, are also included within the scope of this invention.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040041328 A1 | Mar 2004 | US |
